Railway frog



June 16, 1936. J. E. CONLEY RAILWAY FROG Filed Dec. 27, .1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 rial-W .E. Com/Q5) I .Ee 16, 1936 J. E.C-ONLEY RAILWAY FROG Filed Dec. 27,1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .llullllltl. IF \lll lll lll J.E.CONLEY RAILWAY FROG- .Fune 16, 1936.

3 Sheets-Shet 3 Filed Dec. 27, 1932 Jar mMw

Jenn: E CONLE v W W M Gum/M Patented June 16, 1936 @NH'EED STATES actress FA'EENT 9 Claims.

This invention relates to railway frogs and it is an improvement upon the construction disclosed in my Patent No. 1,603,337, granted October 19, 1926.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a frog constituted by a railbound body, the rails on each side being integrally rolled members including both the wing and point rails, and notched at suitable points to provide flange ways, the body including the frog point and being a unitary casting to the sides of which the rails are bolted by through-bolts.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a frog in which the hold-down plates are cast or otherwise formed integral with the body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wear piece integral with the body and positioned forwardly of the point and adjacent one or both of the side rails, according to the relative 20 traific conditions on the tracks of which the frog rails form a part, for supporting the wheels at the region of cross-over.

Another object of the invention relates to the construction of a spring frog having the hold- 25 down housing and the essential hold-down plates formed integral with the body or insert.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a spring frog construction in which a guard rail on one side is integral with the body or in- 30 sert.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description of several exemplary embodiments thereof proceed.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of the following specification and throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts;

Figure 1 is a plan view of a fixed frog having integral rolled wing and point rails at the sides of an integral insert with the wear piece on one side;

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are cross sections taken respectively along the lines 2-2, 33 and l4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a fixed frog similar to that shown in Figure 1, excepting that the hold-down plates are made integral with the body of the insert;

Figure 6 is a cross section taken along the line E'6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a frog similar to that of Figure 1, excepting that a wear piece is shown on both sides at the cross-over;

Figure 8 is a cross section taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a plan view of a spring frog having integral rolled wing and point rails at both sides and having certain of the hold-down plates formed integral with the body;

Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are views in vertical cross section taken along the lines Ifilll, ll--Il, lZ-IZ, |3I3, M-M and l5-l5 of Figure 9;

Figure 16 is a plan view of a spring frog having a guard rail on one side integral with the body, and having the essential hold-down plates also integral with said body; and

Figures 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 are views in vertical section taken along the lines ll-l'l, l8l8, I9--l9, 202il, 2|--2l, 22-42 and 23-23 of Figure 16.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, and first adverting to the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the numerals I and 2 represent a pair of ordinary rolled rails bent or forged into the shapes as shown so as to form integral wing rails 3 and 4, and point rails 5 and 8. A cast body 1 which is preferably unitary in construction is suitably placed between the side rails I and 2, the three parts being secured together by through-bolts 8. The body is formed with the usual frog point 9. The body or insert is preferably made of manganese steel and it may be provided with a wear piece it! adjacent one or both side rails, depending upon the relative density of traific over the tracks crossing the frog. In Figure 1 the wear piece serves the track including the wing rail 4 and the point rail 5. Referring to Figures '7 and 8, a wear piece In is shown on both sides, this type of frog being for tracks where the density of trafiic is approximately equal on both sides.

It will be noted in Figure lthat the side rails have their ball notched or cut-away at the sides of the frog point to permit the flanges of the wheel to cross over.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, a form of the invention is shown in which the body or insert 1 l is formed integral with hold-down plates Hi, the side rails resting upon the plates l2 and being bolted to the body by the through-bolts 8. This gives a construction of maximum rigidity, the entire frog including the hold-down plates, disregarding the bolts, being constituted by only three parts.

In that form of the invention shown in Figures 9 to 15 inclusive, a spring frog is shown, having integral outer rolled rails I3 and I4, forming wing rails I5 and I6 at one end of the frog. The rail I3 is also continuous to the opposite end of the frog, forming the point rail ll, and notched at an intermediate region i8 to permit the wheel flange to cross over. An insert or spacer I9 is bolted against the webs of the wing rails as shown in Figure 10, and a body constituting the frog point 20 and flange-way 2| is inserted between the rails l3 and 14 near their opposite ends. The rail I3 is secured to the body 20 by means of through-bolts 22. The opposite rail M is flexibly mounted with respect tothe frog point having a divergent end 23 providing a guide for the entrance of the wheel flange between said rail and frog point. When the flange enters, it biases the rail l4 outwardly against the tension of the springs 24 and 25, see Figure 13, arranged at opposite ends of a rod 36 which passes freely through apertures in the fixed and movable rails in the frog points, and holds the movable rail against the frog point. It will thus be evident that the spring means is supported solely by the frog structure and no part of it by a separate support such as the cross tie. This assures a factor of safety which could not be obtained if the spring reacted against separately supported elements.

The arrangement of the rod freely movable through apertures in the rails and frog point and with the springs at opposite ends of said rod and reacting against the outside of the two rails, a minimum of wear of all the parts concerned is assured.

The rail I4 is held down by means of loops of iron 26 formed on straps 21 which are bolted to the web of the rail I4, said loops extending laterally and telescopically through housing 28 formed on certain of the hold-down plates 29. Other hold-down plates 30 support lateral stops 3| and 32 which limit the outward deflection of the rail under the spreading action of the wheel flange.

If desired, those of the hold-down plates which carry the housing 28 can be formed integral with the body or insert 20, as is illustrated in Figure 12, this producing a structure which is absolutely invariable as regards the relation of the several parts.

In Figures 16 to 21, a further modification of the invention is shown in which the fixed side rail is omitted, its place being taken by a guard rail 33 which is integral with the casting forming thev frog point. The movable rail I4 is similar to the loop rail described in connection with Figure 9, and the hold-down plates 29 which carry the hold-down housings 28 as well as the holddown plates which carry the stops 32 may or may not be made integral with the body or frog point casting, as may be desired.

The body or insert is suitably recessed at its heel end as indicated by the reference character 34 and at the toe end 35 of the guard rail for the reception of the butts of adjacent rails forming the cross-over.

While I have in the above disclosure described various forms of frog in which the body or insert is an integral member and which may or may not be integral with the hold-down plates, it is to be understood that the invention may be sufficiently broad to contemplate a body or insert divided into longitudinal parts as in my aforementioned patent and united by the through-bolts by which the body and the side rails are integrated.

What I claim is:

1. Railway frog including a body portion formed with a frog point, lateral rails one fixed with respect to said body portion and the other movable with respect to said frog point, yielding means, including a rod passing freely through 5 apertures in said fixed and movable rails and said frog point, a spring on said rod reacting against the movable rail and normally biasing it into contact with said frog point, said rod and spring being thus solely supported by the frog 10 structure, hold-down plates integral with said body portion, housings on said hold-down plates, and lateral extensions from said movable rail telescoping within said housings.

2. Railway frog including a body portion 15 formed with a frog point, lateral rails one being fixed with respect to said body and the other movable with respect to said frog point, spring means normally pulling said movable rail against said frog point, hold-down plates integral with 20 said body portion, housings on said hold-down plates, and lateral extensions from said movable rail telescoping in said housings, said fixed rail being notched adjacent the heel of said frog to provide a cross over for the wheel flange. 25

3. Railway frog including a body portion formed with a frog point, and with an integral guard rail on one side, and provided with amovable rail on the other side, spring means normally pulling said movable rail against said frog 30' point, hold-down plates, housings on said holddown plates, and lateral extensions from said movable rails telescoping within said housings.

4. Railway frog including a body portion formed with a frog point, and with an integral 35 guard rail on one side, and a movable rail on the other side, spring means normally pulling said movable rail against said frog point, holddown plates integral with said body portion, housings on said hold-down plates and lateral extensions from said movable rails telescoping within said housings.

5. Railway frog including a body portion provided with a frog point and having an integral guard rail on one side, and a movable rail on the other side, hold-down plates integral with said body portion, means associated with said hold-down plates for holding down said movable rail, and spring means for normally holding said movable rail in lateral contact with said frog 56 point.

6. Railway frog including a body portion formed with a frog point, lateral rails, one fixed with respect to said body portion and the other movable with respect to said frog point, yielding means including a rod passing through apertures in said fixed and movable rails and said frog point, springs on the opposite ends of said rod reacting against said rails, normally biasing said movable rail against said frog point, hold-down plates integral with said body portion, housings on said hold-down plates and lateral extensions from said movable rail telescoping within said housings.

'7. Railway frog comprising an integral body, rolled rails secured to the opposite sides of the body forming flared integral wing and point rails, and secured to said body by bolts extending transversely through the body, the latter being formed with a frog point between said rails, and channels for the wheel flanges at the sides of the frog point terminating in notches in the rails at the heel of the frog and at the end of the flare of the wing rail.

8. Railway frog comprising an integral body, rolled rails secured to the opposite sides of the body forming flared integral wing and point rails, and secured to said body by bolts extending transversely through the body, the latter being formed with a frog point between the rails, channels for the wheel flanges at the sides of said frog point terminating in notches in the rails at the heel of the frog and at the end of the flare of the wing rail, and plate extensions forming a seat for said rails, said extensions being adapted to be secured to cross ties.

9. Railway frog comprising an integral body, rolled rails secured to the opposite sides of the body forming integral wing and point rails, and secured to said body by bolts extending transversely through the body, the latter being formed with a frog point between the rails, the latter flaring at the sides of said frog point, the body being correspondingly flared, channels for the Wheel flanges at the sides of the frog point terminating in notches in the rails at the heel of the frog at the end of the flare of the wing rail, and above the body, and a tread of wear-resisting material contiguous to the rail on at least one side of the frog.

JOHN EDWARD CONLEY. 

